Always Remember Me
by AllThingsAnime123
Summary: When the boys hear stories that practically reek of Gabriel, Sam all but takes off without Dean to track down the illusive archangel. However, when they are finally reunited, it becomes clear that not all of Gabriel survived Lucifer's attack.. Eventual Sabriel! Hope you enjoy! R&R met with love and virtual hugs! :D
1. Need You Now

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Supernatural, any of the characters used or the song lyrics at the start of each chapter. Wish I did but hey, that's every fangirl's dream xP

* * *

_Another shot of whiskey_

_Can't stop looking at the door_

_Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before_

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind?_

_For me it happens all the time_

_It's a quarter after one_

_I'm a little drunk and I need you now_

Sam drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, playing out a familiar tune that had been stuck in his head for at least a week. The window of the Impala was open, letting in a comforting cool breeze that wafted into the car's warm interior and played with the strands of his hair. Sam sighed gently. He and Dean had been working non-stop for almost a week on their latest hunt with a particularly nasty ghost. After a late night of battling the damn thing and doing through the necessary salt-and-burn, they were both exhausted.

He allowed his eyes to stray from the frozen car in front to the passenger seat beside him. It held a flimsy plastic cup-holder, which contained two hot cups of coffee from the local diner. He smirked as he imagined the look of pure venom Dean would be shooting his way if he could see Sam's blasé treatment of the special car. He knew he was signing his own death warrant if Dean ever found out, but what with the heat of the sun, Sam wasn't prepared to sit through the traffic jams with blazing cups in his lap. His body had gone through enough this week without having burns to add to the list, thank you very much.

As the lights changed to green, the line of cars began to crawl forwards. Sam immediately halted his tapping and turned his full attention to driving the car. Dean had woken up that morning with a pounding headache; the normal after-effects of spending hours knocking back whiskey at one of the local bars. The hangover had put him in a less than pleasant mood, and any damage to his car no matter how slight would only add fuel to that fire.

Eventually Sam cleared the creeping traffic with relief and pushed down on the accelerator, relishing in the stronger breeze that now flowed through the window. After spending a week cooped up in the stuffy motel room with nobody but an increasingly disgruntled older brother for company, or the town's _tiny_ library hitting endless dead ends, the freedom of driving without the case weighing him down was a welcome change. He knew that his short-term feelings of independence would last only as long as it took to get back to the motel, though. After their coffee was finished, they'd be packing up and leaving off to the next place, searching for another case, another mayhem-causing monster to bring down.

Sam turned the Impala around a corner, and promptly slammed his foot on the brakes as a pair of joggers ran out in front of him. Yelling a swear word at the top of his voice, he dived sideways and managed to catch the cup-holder before it slid off the seat, or overturned. As he lay there, outstretched across the front seats, waiting for his heartbeat to return to its normal rhythm, he heard a rather peculiar noise. Something was skittering along the floor behind his seat, dislodged from wherever it had been by the sudden stop, coming to a halt right underneath his chair.

Regaining his usual breathing pattern and ensuring the cups were secured again, he sat up properly. The joggers were stood on the other side of the road, staring at him with concerned looks on their faces. He flashed them the most encouraging smile he could manage, which in itself was a feat, seeing as he'd just almost knocked them both down. It seemed to be convincing, though, because they both beamed and continued up the street without a word or backwards glance. Sam sat there frozen for a moment, shook his head, and then continued on his way.

A few minutes later saw him pulling up into the car park. He made sure to stop the Impala at a much slower pace so as not to upset the cup-holder again, and was just reaching to extract it from the car when he remembered the mysterious object. Naturally, he assumed, it was a weapon that they'd forgotten to replace in the hidden trunk. Not wanting anybody to see it and risk causing a panic, he decided to put it back in its rightful place before returning to Dean.

This turned out to be a very costly mistake.

Not bothering to leave the car, he bent his arm around the back of the chair and groped around on the floor. He expected to feel the long cold metal of a gun, or the tough rubber of a knife handle. Instead, what he felt was smooth and cool, and completely flat. Frowning, Sam scooped it up in his hand and lifted it around so that he could get a better look.

He felt all the air leaving his body in one fell swoop and his insides turned to ice. Nestled in the palm of his hand was the case Gabriel had thrust into Dean's hands at the hotel, hissing a warning to guard it with his life. Inside, clearly visible, was the DVD that Sam knew contained the archangel's instructions on how to avert the Apocalypse, which coupled as both a porn video and his suicide note.

And then suddenly, he was back at the Elysian Fields Hotel, his back pressed against an overturned table beside Dean with the devil a mere few feet away. There was absolutely no chance whatsoever of escape. They were screwed. And then Gabriel had appeared. Gabriel, who broke ranks with the angels who knew how many years ago because he couldn't stand to see his brothers fight anymore. Gabriel, who had been afraid of facing them now that they were beginning the Apocalypse. Gabriel, who had stepped out alone to give them and Kali a chance to get away.

And he'd paid for it with his life.

Mind and body feeling numb, Sam leant back into the front again, picking up the cup-holder and stepping out of the car. He could no longer feel the blinding heat of the sun above; the press of the DVD against his skin was more than enough of a reminder to keep his insides an icy mush. He strode across the car park and let himself into their room, his expression glazed as he remained lost in thought.

Dean glanced up when he heard the key scraping in the lock, and managed a small grin when he saw Sam enter. "About time, bitch." He said. "How long does it take for –"

But he trailed off as soon as he caught sight of the look on Sam's face. His younger brother hadn't even glanced his way; he was staring straight ahead, a distant look in his eyes and his mouth curled into a frown. As he watched, Sam slid the coffee cups onto the small table a short distance from the door, before he crossed the room to collapse on his bed.

"Sammy? Everything okay?" He asked, concern flooding him, sitting up a little straighter in his own bed.

When Sam still made no efforts to respond, Dean really started to worry. He even began to sweep his brother with his eyes, checking for any signs of attack, and that was when he spotted the DVD case. It lay sheathed in Sam's tight grip on top of the bed sheets as he continued to stare at whatever happened to be directly in front of him; in this case, the dirty motel ceiling. There was only one DVD Dean could bring to mind that could reduce Sam to such a state almost instantaneously. Dean winced, and dropped his gaze from Sam, now understanding perfectly.

After their first encounter with Gabriel at the university, both he and Sam shared the same opinion about the supposed Trickster. He had a sick, twisted sense of humour, he was tricky and clever, and he seemed to enjoy killing people who he deemed to have 'deserved' it. But after that, while Dean remained resolute and stubborn in his opinion of the archangel, Sam started to stray down a different path entirely.

He first noticed it after the events of their brief stint in TV Land, when Gabriel had made it his own personal mission to drop in on them whenever he could, purely to annoy them. At first, Sam seemed to get just as irritated with this behaviour as Dean. But then Dean would catch Sam stealing glances at Gabriel when the archangel wasn't looking, or wearing the bitchface he reserved only for when he was embarrassed whenever Gabriel mock-flirted with him. It had taken a _lot_ of prodding and poking on Dean's part over a _long_ period of time, but eventually he managed to wheedle a confession out of his younger brother.

Dean's first reaction was utter disbelief. As he was quick to remind Sam, Gabriel was the one who was responsible for his hundred-and-something deaths, the Herpexia advert and the Nutcracker game. And that was without pointing out that Gabriel was an _archangel_. At that, Dean remembered, Sam had muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'Castiel' under his breath, but had become mysteriously forgetful when Dean called him up on it. Sam assured him it was just a crush which it would pass in time, and Dean let the matter drop.

But then the Elysian happened.

As they were speeding away from the hotel and the fighting archangels as fast as possible, all Sam could talk about was whether Gabriel was alright. Dean grimaced as he remembered his response. He'd urged Sam, especially with the looming Apocalypse, that if he wanted to take a shot with Gabriel, he should go ahead and take it, consequences be damned. After all, he'd pointed out, the worst the archangel could do was smite him, and if they were all royally screwed anyway, what difference did it make? So Sam agreed to tell Gabriel the way he felt once the archangel met up with them later.

But Gabriel never left the hotel.

He and Sam had waited for as long as they dared before digging out the DVD and watching it. After Sam had slammed the laptop shut, cutting off what could only have been an explicit porn video, he'd turned and walked off without a word. Dean had let him go, knowing that the archangel's death must have been a horrible blow. Sam didn't return for hours, and when he did, he made it perfectly clear they weren't going to talk about the events of the last few days.

Again, Dean let it slide without fuss or complaint. He knew that, if their positions had been reversed and it had been Castiel stepping out to face Lucifer instead of Gabriel, he'd have felt dead inside. To have the knowledge that the angel would have done it purely to grant he and Sam time to get away would have been worse, and watching him soon after recording his final words even more so.

In hindsight, the elder Winchester should have destroyed the DVD once they'd seen it. In the very least, he should have put it somewhere nobody would find it. But he hadn't; the thought had completely slipped his mind. He'd ejected the disc from Sam's laptop whilst he was still on his walk, and dropped it in the Impala, where it had been forgotten about. It had taken Sam a long time to get over Gabriel's death, or to at least create a convincing enough façade to fool Dean into thinking he'd moved on. But the unearthing of the DVD must have brought all of the horrible memories cascading back, along with the emotional turmoil that went hand-in-hand with them, returning to fester in what was obviously still a tender wound.

"Sammy, throw that thing away." Dean said quietly. "I know it feels like shit now, but it's happened. We can't do a damn thing about it. Keeping that DVD will only make you feel like crap. Get rid of it once and for all. Trust me dude, it's for the best."

For the first time, Sam reacted. He nodded and sat up properly, finally releasing his grip on the case. "Yeah, I know."

Dean shot him a sympathetic look, and then busied himself packing their things away into the duffel bag. Their whole time in this town had been nothing but one headache after another, and quite frankly he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. He was so preoccupied, he didn't notice Sam slipping the DVD from its plastic casing and sliding it into his jacket pocket. Dean only glanced up when he saw Sam moving towards the bin, the case in hand. With a heavy sigh, Sam let it go and the dull thud of it hitting the bin's bottom rang out around the small room.

Sam turned to Dean then, and managed a weak grin. "Like you said, it's for the best."

* * *

By midnight that evening, they were holed up in a new motel in a completely new town. Outside a fierce storm was raging. Rain lashed against the windows in a constant drum, while gale-force winds buffeted the building. Every so often, the sky outside would become illuminated by a jagged fork of lightning zigzagging its way through the inky clouds, followed shortly by a deafening boom of thunder.

Dean, tired from the long week and a whole day's driving, was unconscious on his bed, completely oblivious to the chaos taking place outside. Sam was in bed too, but he was far from asleep. He was sat in an uncomfortable slouching position, his laptop balanced on his kneecaps. A beer was clutched in his hand which lay on the mattress next to another three empty bottles. His eyes were glued unblinkingly to the screen, on which showed Gabriel midway through pulling off a false moustache in silence. Sam had kept the noise muted for fear of rousing Dean, because he honestly didn't feel like explaining why he'd kept the DVD. More than anything else, he didn't know why himself. He supposed it was because that disc was the last thing of Gabriel's he possessed. Get rid of that and all he had remaining were memories and a ton of pain.

As Gabriel's lips mouthed the words, '_And this is me lying down_', Sam hit pause with the touch pad, and shifted the cursor back to the beginning of the video. He'd only been able to venture five seconds past that point, because watching Gabriel do borderline obscene things with some woman – Who probably wasn't even _real_ – made Sam's insides burn with jealousy and remorse.

He sat there for the whole course of the evening, re-watching the same footage over and over and taking great gulps of beer. Just seeing the archangel's smirking face was enough to rekindle the spark Sam had thought was long extinguished inside him back into a roaring fire. He felt bitter anger rising in him too as the storm began to die down and the night subside. Anger at himself for not going back, at Lucifer for issuing the fatal attack, at Gabriel for doing something so monumentally stupid, and at Dean for being the one to push Gabriel into facing his brothers rather than continue running.

As the first signs of dawn approaching broke through the hazy clouds, Sam forced himself to close the video. He focused his attentions instead on searching for a new case to take his mind off the DVD and Gabriel. Researching and fighting another supernatural creature would give him the distraction he needed, and if he kept his mind busy with different cases for a while, eventually he'd manage to squash down these resurfaced feelings. It wasn't an ideal solution, hell it wasn't a solution _at all_, but it was just the way Winchesters did things, and he'd learned from the best.


	2. Far Away

_I'd give it all, I'd give for us_

_Give anything but I won't give up_

'_Cos you know, you know, you know that I love you_

_I have loved you all along_

_And I miss you_

_Been far away for far too long_

After the ferocity of the storm the previous evening, what little sunlight that managed to break through the thick covering of dark cloud was weak and feeble, offering next to no warmth at all. There was a rather chilly breeze in the air too, as Sam discovered when he left the motel to walk into town to buy a paper. He'd been sorely tempted to take the keys to the Impala as Dean was still fast asleep on his bed, but Sam didn't trust him to stay that way if he heard the precious car's engine. And it wouldn't matter that Sam would only have been nipping into town and back; Dean barely let Sam drive when he was fully conscious; Sam couldn't imagine him being too happy to wake up and discover it missing.

The walk there and back did little to clear Sam's buzzing mind. He'd searched for three hours straight for a local case and had come up with nothing to show for his efforts. It had been very long and increasingly frustrating work as images kept floating to the surface of his mind, hounding him constantly. Gabriel's smug grin as he, Sam, pressed him against a fence with a stake to the throat; Gabriel's laughter when Dean had discovered he'd turned the Impala from sleek black to lemon-meringue yellow; Gabriel stepping out to face his older brother, angel killing blade in hand; Gabriel, spread-eagled on the messy floor, the dark imprints of his wings framing his body.

Although he had never personally witnessed the last of these, he could imagine it clearly. He could see Gabriel's form flat on the floor, his eyes closed, with a trickle of blood running down from the corner of his mouth. A gaping, blood-soaked wound stained his dark shirt directly over his chest. Lucifer stood over him, his face downcast because Sam never knew how the devil would feel after slaying one of his closest brothers. Sadness, maybe? Regret, that it had come to that? Would he have _enjoyed_ it? Hell, maybe he didn't even feel _anything_.

It had been this picture, imagined though it was, that had stuck most rigidly in Sam's mind. It returned, coupled with a horrible lurch of despair, when Sam returned to the room and spotted his closed laptop at the foot of his bed. Turning away so quickly he became slightly dizzy, Sam stormed over to the sofa near the opposite wall and flung himself onto it, turning his back on both beds.

That was how Dean found him when he awoke shortly afterwards. He sat up slowly, rubbing sleep out of one eye, his blankets tumbling back to the mattress. He spotted Sam instantly, flicking his way through a paper in stony silence. Casting a side glance at Sam's bed – the covers of which were mussed up but didn't look slept in – Dean sighed wearily.

"What are you doing, Sammy?" He asked, fixing his gaze on the back of his brother's head.

"Rise and shine." Sam replied in what he hoped was a normal tone, setting the paper down and swivelling to face Dean. He was careful not to look anywhere near his laptop as he did so. "I'm just looking to see if we've got any jobs around here."

Dean nodded, and watched Sam carefully as he spoke. "How much sleep did you get?"

As he'd expected, Sam's expression faltered for a moment, and for some reason, his gaze flicked almost involuntarily to his bed. The moment he did, Dean saw Sam's jaw clench, his eyes narrow and he turned around again.

"I didn't." Sam's voice sounded strained.

"Thought as much." Dean said, running a hand through his hair. "Mind telling me why?"

Sam shrugged, opening the paper again. "Just couldn't. So I went on my laptop to find a job. Nothing as far as I could tell, but I thought I'd go and get a paper just to check."

He wasn't entirely sure if Dean truly believed him, but he didn't pursue the matter, which Sam was grateful for. Instead, he simply muttered 'Whatever, bitch', and strode off into the bathroom, taking the duffel with him. A moment later, Sam distinctly heard the sound of running water. Knowing that he had a few minutes maximum, Sam abandoned the paper on the sofa and reluctantly hurried over to his laptop. After starting it up, he hurriedly ejected the disc, slid it back into his jacket pocket and closed the device down again. He knew that if Dean used his laptop and discovered that he'd kept Gabriel's suicide DVD after making a point of supposedly throwing it away, there'd be hell to pay.

When Dean emerged from the bathroom soon after, his clothes changed and towelling his hair dry, it was to discover Sam lounging on the sofa, flicking through the paper. He was just on the verge of walking out the door to go and get breakfast, when he heard Sam take a sharp inhale of breath. He whirled around, slamming the door shut again, in time to hear Sam call his name in a strangled cry.

"What?" Dean demanded, rushing to the back of the sofa.

Sam merely gripped the paper tighter in his hand and thrust it towards Dean. "Look!" He cried in a rather hoarse voice, jabbing his index finger at a small article near the bottom of the page.

"Sammy, what -?" Dean began, feeling irritation creeping up on him.

"_Read_ it, Dean!" Sam said insistently, pushing the paper even closer to his face.

"Alright, _alright_!" He snapped impatiently, seizing it from Sam's grasp and casting his eyes on the article that was so vitally important. Sam sat back on the sofa, his gaze fixed on Dean.

It was a short piece about a murder that had taken place several towns over from the one they currently inhabited. A very rich woman's body had been discovered skinned, and the skin itself was missing. She had also been shot between the eyes with what experts were agreeing was a hunting rifle. What made it peculiar, and what had obviously caught Sam's eye, was that the woman's security system was top-notch, and the murderer had managed to break in without setting it off, or being spotted. At the very bottom of the article, Dean read that the woman had had a large collection of fur coats and scarves, but these had all mysteriously vanished as well.

He looked up after reading the article to see Sam staring expectantly at him. "What?"

"It's him, Dean. I know it's him." Sam said, his voice strangely quiet.

"Who?" Dean's confusion was evident in his tone.

Sam raised his eyebrows and adopted one of his many bitchfaces; the one he reserved for when he thought Dean was being particularly difficult. "Gabriel, of course!" He said, his tone indignant.

"_Gabriel_?" Dean was unable to keep the disbelief from his voice as he studied the article again. "Sammy, he's -"

"Don't tell me he's dead, Dean!" Sam snapped irritably. "I _know_ that's him. The bio fits perfectly; a total dick – or in this case, a total bitch – who got a taste of her own medicine."

"And how can you be so sure?"

Sam paused, thinking of how to answer. After Dean's 'final' death at the Mystery Spot and all that time Sam had spent hunting Gabriel down, he'd learned a thing or two about noticing the archangel's handiwork. He had certain ruthlessness and his victims often suffered greatly at his hands. Over that time period, Sam had learned how to spot Gabriel's traits, and to him, this article was practically screaming the archangel's name.

But of course, he knew, it could all just be wishful thinking. For so long now, he'd hoped and prayed for Gabriel to be resurrected. He couldn't remember the last time his mind hadn't strayed at least once daily to the midget archangel. So it was entirely possible that he was simply looking for any excuse, no matter how minute, to believe that Gabriel had returned.

He knew that, but something in his gut just refused to accept there was even the slightest chance that he was wrong about this.

"I just know, Dean. I can't explain it. I just _know_." He paused, but then spoke in a determined voice. "If you don't go with me, I'll find some other way of getting there. Either way, I'm going. Only question is whether you're coming with me or not."

Dean stood there, watching the unwavering expression on his brother's face for a long while. Then, after Sam had given up hope of getting an answer, Dean rolled his eyes and sighed resignedly.

"Alright, we'll go check it out. But if this turns out to be a wild goose chase and we hightailed it up there for nothing, you're gonna be sorry."


	3. So Close

_A life goes by, romantic dreams must die_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All I want to do is hold you so close_

Sam had started off the journey with a happy bubble rising in his chest. Gabriel was alive and well, and clearly healthy enough to be up to his old tricks again. The knowledge left the younger hunter feeling relieved and more cheerful than he'd been in a while. But as the hours wore on with nothing but the seemingly endless stretch of bare road in front of them and Dean's absent-minded humming to his shabby tapes for company, Sam's mood began to sour.

If Gabriel was back, why hadn't he at least sought them out? Why hadn't he told them he had been returned from the dead? It wasn't like him to care whether or not they wished for his company, and in fact, it was more in character for him to pop in on them if he believed himself to be unwelcome. He always delighted in being a thorn in their sides, and he knew for a fact that his sudden and unannounced appearances irritated them; Dean in particular.

Was this sudden reappearance of his Trickster persona a way of subtly getting their attention? Sam doubted it. Gabriel wouldn't know subtlety if it danced naked in front of him, carrying a flashing neon sign which read '_Subtle plans are here again_'. So was he simply bored and reverting back to his old way of life, uncaring whether or not either Winchester had been hurt by his passing? Did he think that to both of them, he had just been a pawn they were willing to sacrifice? Had he just _assumed_ that, without asking for their personal opinions on him?

Or did he just not care one iota about them? Did he not think they were worth his time after the Apocalypse had been averted? Had he only spent time with them because it had been in his interests at the time? And now that that need was over, so was his dependence on them? And was it because of this thinking that he had returned from the dead and decided it wasn't important to let them know?

By the time Dean was pulling the Impala to a halt in a new motel car park, Sam's mood was utterly foul. He looked like a thoroughly pissed off storm cloud, with his eyes glinting furiously, bitchface in full effect and mouth curled into a deep scowl. As far as he was concerned, even if Gabriel believed both of them to consider him as nothing but something they could use for their own gains, the least he could have done was sent a message via the angelic grapevine to Castiel. That was fair, wasn't it? He _owed_ them that much, at least.

Next to Sam, eyeing him warily, Dean was experiencing a new sensation; feeling sorry for Gabriel – if indeed it _was_ him. He'd seen enough of that particular variation of Sam's bitchface himself to know that his brother was currently liable to erupt at the smallest thing. If the culprit of the woman's murder really was the archangel, and he had to admit it _was_ a possibility no matter how slight, he knew Sam was going to make Gabriel suffer when they actually met face to face. But that was _if_ it was Gabriel at all. He shuddered to think how Sam would react if it turned out it was just a random demon or ghost. One thing was for certain; Sam would make sure it died slowly and painfully.

After checking into their new room, Dean slung the duffel bag onto the nearest bed and turned to Sam. "We'll treat this like any normal job until we know for sure it's him. So now, we're going to go and talk to anyone who knew the victim."

Sam nodded jerkily, still looking ready to kill. Without a word, he took off into the bathroom to change into the usual suit and tie getup they donned for gathering information. Dean watched him go, shaking his head mutely. If Gabriel _had_ managed to come back to life somehow, Dean doubted he'd last much longer once Sam found him, even if he _was_ an archangel.

* * *

After spending the majority of the day interviewing anybody remotely tied to the dead woman, Dean and Sam were sliding into a diner booth, feeling deflated and frustrated. The victim hadn't had many friends, and any relatives she had once had were long dead, so they had focused mainly on the staff she'd employed at the house itself. Through the gardener and one of the maids, they had learned that she had been a rather foul mistress with a horrible temper and personality to match. None of them had any kind words to say, and one man even commented that she wouldn't be missed now that she was gone.

After that, Sam had been more certain than ever about whom and what they were dealing with, but Dean was insistent. They needed to check every box; rule out every possibility before they moved onto things that should be dead. So they moved on from the living inhabitants of the house to the dead ones. The woman's husband had died several years before her, but of a heart attack. As far as research into the building and local stories told, no gruesome deaths had taken place anywhere near the place at all. So Sam decided that ruled out any vengeful spirits.

A quick search of the premises ruled out demons, too. There was no trace of sulphur anywhere, and nobody had seen anyone apart from the usual staff in the building from the time the victim had last been seen to when she had been discovered. Dean also mentally checked off most creatures and monsters, because those would have had to force entry to gain access, and there was no sign of any such intrusion anywhere.

"I'm telling you, Dean, we're wasting our time." Sam said, reaching for his fork as a waiter placed his meal before him. "We shouldn't be searching for clues for this being something else when we already know who's done it."

"Yeah Sam, I heard you the first freaking fifty times you said it." Dean snapped back, massaging his aching forehead with his index finger and thumb. "And I'm gonna tell you exactly what I did those last fifty times, 'cos you obviously missed it; it's our job to be sure."

"But I _am_ sure, Dean!"

"We've still got some options left before we know it's him. Could have been a shapeshifter. Or a daeva." Dean felt like he'd said the same words, over and over again, but they always fell on deaf ears. And once again, Sam was shaking his head.

"We checked those cameras, and nobody had the eyes. There's no way a shifter could have made it through that maze without being scanned at least once. As for a daeva, she would have screamed, but nobody heard a thing until she was found the next morning in her room."

"You know as well as I do that if the daeva snuck up on her, which it's more than capable of doing, then she'd have been dead before she could open her mouth."

"Okay then, when have you ever heard of a daeva skinning a person? Or stealing clothes? Last I checked, they don't really have a need for fur coats." Sam spat back, bitchface back in effect.

"I'm just saying," Dean said through gritted teeth, "That we don't _know_ for certain."

"But -"

"_I get it, you're sure_!" Dean snapped, then allowed himself to take a deep breath. "Well, if you're so adamant, why don't you give him a call? Ask him to drop in on us? That'd solve everything."

Sam's frown deepened, and he sat back in his seat, pushing his food around on his plate but not eating it. "If I do, we have no guarantee that he'll come."

"Oh, please. All you had to do before was think about him and he'd show up like an obedient puppy."

Sam only just managed to bite back the retort about Castiel, but it was a close thing. Instead, he sighed. "I don't know for sure. I mean, he didn't bother letting us know he was back, did he? So I think we can assume he doesn't _want_ us finding him."

"Why?"

"Well, think about it. This is _Gabriel_. You remember those slow dancing aliens, don't you? And the Incredible Hulk thing? He's doesn't exactly tone down what he does, does he? Compared to his usual handiwork, this is almost restrained. Like he's trying to stay underneath the radar."

"Maybe that's because he's still running his ass away from Heaven?" Dean suggested.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe, but he was only on the run because he couldn't stand seeing Lucifer and Michael go at one another. It's just I want to know for sure. And if I call him, he'll realise we're on to him, and if he doesn't want us finding him, he won't come and we'll lose him again. Because I don't know about you but I wouldn't want to hang about if someone I was trying to avoid was nearby. If we find him ourselves, without calling him and without calling Castiel, maybe I'll – _we'll_ – get a chance to ask him about.. Things."

Sam trailed off, and ended up looking so forlorn and full of despair that Dean felt his previous frustration ebbing away. It was remarkable how much his younger brother could resemble a puppy that had been left out in the rain when he was usually a moody little bitch. Dean allowed a gentle sigh to escape him as he too sat back in the booth seat.

"That's if he's not sensed us as soon as we hit town."

"Castiel marked our ribs, remember? We're invisible to all of Heaven, Gabriel included. The only way he could find us is if we called him."

Dean nodded. "Okay, but how do you suggest we find him without calling him? He wasn't the easiest person to find when he didn't want to be found."

At these words, Sam's expression turned dismal and his head fell back against the top of the seat. "I don't know. Let's just focus on proving it's him first, shall we?"

Dean smirked, and couldn't resist muttering, "Stubborn bitch," under his breath.

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Sam responded with, "Takes one to know one, jerk."

They finished the rest of their meal in a silence much more comfortable than the one they had entered the diner with. As they were leaving, they discussed their plans for that evening. Sam, under Dean's orders, was to try and catch up on the sleep he'd missed from the other night while he continued to research and mentally check off anything that no longer became a suspect.

They had just walked out of the diner entrance, ready to take the short walk back to the motel, when Sam stopped dead so suddenly that Dean walked right into him. Temper snapping and glaring at the top of Sam's head, he stepped out from around his brother to ask just _what the fuck that was for_, when he caught sight of Sam's face. His eyes were wide and staring dead ahead, his mouth hanging slightly open, and all colour had drained from his cheeks. Confused, Dean faced forwards, and felt the pit of his stomach dip.

Ahead of them was a road lined with queuing cars, their drivers impatiently beating their horns at the person in front. The street beyond was bustling with people just like the one they stood on as they entered and left the shops. There was a book store, what looked like an internet café, a fast food restaurant, and straight in front of them, a sweet shop.

The glass door was just swinging shut behind the man who had just left it. He carried a thick chocolate bar in his hand, which he was already unwrapping. He was dressed in a pale red hooded sweater, with a plain grey shirt underneath. The denim of his jeans dragged a little on the pavement, the bottoms scuffed and messy. He wore shabby trainers on his feet, the soles of which were caked in mud. His hair was light brown, messy and the ends curling a little. Eyes the colour of bronze were sweeping up and down the street, not even noticing the two hunters gaping at him from across the road.

It was unmistakeably Gabriel.

Dean just managed to shake himself out of his shocked state long enough to say something to Sam – only, he wasn't there anymore. Instead, he was halfway across the road, earning him a few blasts from a driver's horn as he dodged in front of the car, eyes still fixed on Gabriel. Dean muttered a swear word under his breath before he sped out after Sam.

The younger Winchester didn't even hesitate the moment he reached Gabriel's side. He couldn't even form words. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around the archangel's tiny body and hugged him tightly. He was dimly aware of Dean's voice yelling at him somewhere in the background, but he couldn't care less. All of the fury he'd felt build up throughout the day vanished on the spot, he was so relieved to see the archangel alive and well.

But that was when he noticed something bizarre. Rather than hugging him back, or pushing him off, or cracking a joke about how unexpected this sudden display of emotion was for a Winchester, Gabriel remained utterly silent. In fact, the only thing he did was tense his body completely, and eye Sam as if he was somebody that had lost his mind. Before Sam could even form a coherent response to _that_ reaction, he felt Dean's hand enclose around his upper arm and he was tugged away from Gabriel completely.

The next thing he knew, Dean was hissing furiously in his ear.

"Are you _insane_?! That could be _anything_ walking around with Gabriel's face on!"

"Control Gigantor in future, would you?" Gabriel said suddenly, and he still looked utterly perplexed.

"Oh, shut it for a second, Gabriel." Dean snapped without bothering to look up.

He'd opened his mouth to continue ranting at Sam, but Gabriel's reaction stunned him into silence. The archangel started, his eyebrows knotted and his mouth curled into a deep frown. He stared from one Winchester to the other, the utterly bewildered expression on his face never lessening in the slightest. And then, before either of them could move, he'd leapt forwards and grabbed their sleeves.

There was a momentary sensation of flight, before they were both slammed against a brick wall in a completely deserted alleyway. Gabriel was standing in front of them, still wearing that look of total incomprehension, staring from one to the other as if he wasn't sure who he should address. Sam tried to move off the wall, but he found his entire body was pinned to the cold brick.

And didn't that just set off a whole bunch of questions? Why was Gabriel pinning them to a wall like they were total strangers? Why did he look amazed that they had recognised him for who he truly was? Why wasn't he greeting them, or laughing like he usually did whenever their paths crossed? Why was he acting like he'd never seen them before, and was contemplating whether or not they should be smited?

"Gabriel, what the _hell_?!" Dean demanded.

"How do you know who I am?" The archangel replied, sounding flummoxed but stern.

Sam exchanged an equally confounded look with Dean before turning back to Gabriel and saying, "We _know_ you."

But Gabriel was shaking his head, still frowning. "Sorry boys, but I can't say I know who either of you are."


	4. Here I Stand

_Here I stand, all alone, tonight_

_I wish I was strong enough to breathe without you in my life_

_I wish I was anyone but me_

_So I'll pretend I'm okay_

_But you should know by now_

_My life is smoke and mirrors_

The moment the words were out of Gabriel's mouth, all sense of fight left Sam's body in one fell swoop. He stopped struggling against the archangel's invisible bonds and instead slumped against the wall, head hanging, feeling as if his insides had been turned to an icy mush. He was vaguely aware of Dean calling his name but made no efforts to respond; instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the floor near his feet.

Gabriel observed the bizarre change in Sam's character with confusion and puzzlement, and upon seeing he was in no mood to answer to anyone, turned to Dean. His eyebrow docked in surprise when he saw the elder hunter glaring at him with a look so venomous, any lesser being would have cowered on the spot. Instead, Gabriel folded his arms across his chest and met Dean's malicious eye.

"For somebody who seems to know what I am, you're not exactly bright. Looks like you're trying to pick a fight right now."

"This _isn't_ _funny_, Gabriel!" He snarled, still straining against the wall. "Stop messing about!"

"I'm not." The archangel replied sharply, feeling his temper prickle. "I don't have any iota of who the two of you are, or why you know who I am. And, to be honest, I'm the one who should be asking the questions here."

"Get screwed!" Dean thundered, the gleam in his green eyes obtaining an entirely new level of malevolence. "I've had enough of dealing with dick angels! You know who we are! Hell, how many times did you kill me?!"

"I've killed you? Gee, _there's_ a memory I wish I could recall." Gabriel's tone was ice cold and dangerous, but as Dean often did, he ignored it completely. He opened his mouth to continue his rant, but a new voice joined the conversation. It was quiet, weak, and sounded as if it was going to break at any given moment, but nonetheless Sam had somewhere found the courage to speak.

"I'm Sam Winchester, and this is my older brother, Dean." He looked Gabriel in the eye as he talked, and the archangel's bronze-eyed gaze slid from one hunter's face to the other. "We worked together a while ago; the two of us and you. And another angel, one of your younger brothers; Castiel."

"Castiel?" Gabriel's tone was sceptical, but at least he didn't sound ready to smite them both anymore; more curious than anything. He was still frowning deeply though, and observed Sam with his arms folded almost protectively over his chest.

"Dean, call him." Sam said, looking across at his elder brother.

"Why's it gotta be me? Seriously Sam, it's not like he lives -"

"Remember when I was Soul-less? He never came when _I_ called."

"Wait, you were _Soul-less_?"

"Gabriel, shut _up_!" Dean shouted, because at those words, Sam's mouth had curled into a pained grimace. "Alright, alright. I pray to Castiel to get his feathery backside down here, _pronto_."

There was a moment of dead silence that followed Dean's irritable call for the angel, during which Gabriel didn't once take his eyes off Sam. Ever since the younger hunter had let slip about his brief spell of being without his soul, an odd look had taken over the archangel's gaze. It was almost as if, in Dean's opinion, Gabriel's gut reaction to such a revelation was concern, but as far as the archangel was concerned, he didn't know the two of them, so he was trying to work out why he had reacted that way. The expression vanished in the next second however, when the sound of flapping wings interrupted the scene.

And then Castiel was there. His dark hair stood in its rigid, uncontrollable peaks as ever, messy and distinctly ruffled. His suit was slightly crumpled and creased, as was his ever-present tan-coloured trench coat. As Dean caught sight of him, he felt a sharp stab of concern for the angel. It looked as if the civil war in Heaven wasn't going at all well. Castiel's facial expression was stoic as ever, except Dean had been around the angel long enough now to know to look deeper, and his eyes looked troubled. And yet, despite all that, he'd still answered the hunter.

Castiel came to a halt just in front of Dean, but faced his elder brother instead. "Gabriel. It has been a while."

The first proper grin broke out on Gabriel's face, and his tense posture relaxed a little. "Hi, Castiel." Sam winced at the now positively cheerful note in the archangel's voice as he finally found somebody he recognised.

Castiel's eyes flicked to the Winchesters, who were still trapped against the wall. "Release them, Gabriel. They mean you no harm."

"I wouldn't say that, Cas." Dean muttered angrily under his breath.

"Oh please kiddo. Like you could do a damn thing to me." Gabriel said, but snapped his fingers all the same.

At once, the invisible barrier that had kept them pinned against the brickwork vanished, leaving Dean and Sam stumbling forwards. Dean automatically gravitated towards Castiel, leaving Sam leant against the wall as if he didn't have the strength to keep himself upright. Gabriel remained in exactly the same place, hands now slung casually into his jacket pockets, observing Sam and Dean with something akin to inquisitiveness. It seemed it had taken Castiel's faith in them to reassure him that they weren't a threat, and now felt able to relax around them.

Castiel's eyes were still fixed on his brother, though. His mouth was curled into an apprehensive-looking frown and his brows were furrowed, as if he were concentrating on something deeply. Eventually, he spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully and said, "I am glad to see you alive again, Gabriel."

The reaction to such a simple sentence was explosive.

"What? I _died_?!" Gabriel cried, jaw hanging open, eyes blown wide.

Castiel's eyes narrowed in confusion, and he looked to Dean and then back to Gabriel. "Yes, when you -"

"Castiel, stop!" Sam burst out suddenly, drawing every pair of eyes to him. "He.. Gabriel.. He doesn't remember us, Castiel. He's lost his memory. He hasn't got a clue who either of us are. That's why he was trapping us. And he doesn't remember anything that happened before, either."

"We recognised him for the archangel rather than the Trickster he's been posing as." Dean explained and Castiel turned to face him instead, looking more focused than ever just as he always did when he clapped eyes on the elder Winchester. "Sam spotted him a few minutes ago and just took off after him. But either he's got a sick, twisted sense of humour and doesn't know when a joke isn't fucking funny anymore, and we know first-hand that he does, or he really doesn't recognise us. Personally, my money's on the first option." He mumbled the last part under his breath.

"You ever heard of something like this before?" Sam asked loudly, succeeding in drowning Dean's murmur out and trying to keep the desperation from his voice, but to no avail. He just couldn't contain how badly he wanted Castiel to tell him that there was a well-known cure for angelic amnesia. Having Gabriel looking at him, but looking _through_ him as a total stranger, was horrible.

But the angel was shaking his head. "I have not heard of an instance such as this before. When I was returned by our Father, I could still remember everything that had preceded my demise."

"I _died_..?" Gabriel was still muttering seemingly to himself, sounding amazed.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Sam asked, gesturing towards Gabriel and ignoring the way his chest and stomach had constricted at Castiel's words.

"What _can_ we do?" Dean replied with a shrug. "I'm sorry Sammy, but if Cas doesn't know anything about this.."

"I'm not just leaving him behind, Dean." Sam said sharply, and for a moment, he was back to his normal, stubborn, unmoving self. "Even if I have to tell him everything we went through personally, he's going to remember us."

The '_I need him to remember me_' went unspoken, but Dean still understood. He knew how much the archangel had meant to Sam, how he had been _destroyed_ by Gabriel's death. To have discovered that Gabriel had been returned to life but only then to find that his memory of them had gone; the pain must have been excruciating for him.

Almost subconsciously, he glanced sideways at Castiel. If, after all they had gone through together, which included the angel sacrificing his life for the hunters _again_, he had tracked Castiel down and found nothing of their past existed in his memory.. Although it was a hypothetical situation, Dean couldn't ignore the twist of his gut and the stab of ice cold dread in his chest.

He sighed heavily, and turned back to Sam. "Alright. Any suggestions?"

"Don't I get a say in this?" Gabriel asked, seeming to have finally gotten over his shock.

"Not at all." Came the snapped reply from Dean.

"I believe you should rediscover the memories that you have lost, brother." Castiel said, and Sam felt a rush of gratitude towards him. He had a nasty feeling that if it were just down to him and Dean to convince Gabriel, the archangel would have long since departed.

"What's the point?" Gabriel asked, frowning again. "I mean, you boys seem like a total _riot_, but apart from that, why do I need to know you? Seems to me hanging about with you only ended up getting me killed."

"Good to see you're still only out for number one." Dean said heatedly, patience snapping. "Seems dying doesn't change a thing about your personality, which is a damn shame."

"You're _really_ starting to bug me, kiddo." Gabriel's voice was back to being low and dangerous. "Acting a little too big for your boots."

"I'm practically _shaking_."

"Dean, Gabriel, stop." Castiel tried, but he was completely ignored.

"You have no _idea_ who you're talking to, do you?" The archangel's voice was thrumming with supressed power and fury. "Don't forget, _child_, I have been upholding justice since before _any_ of you were in existence!"

"Gabriel -"

"Yeah, I've had the 'holier-than-thou' routine from a few dick angels, including your two big brothers." Dean snapped back, not giving an inch and thoroughly enjoying the look of mild surprise that crossed Gabriel's face at his last comment. "And I'm still breathing. So you can shove your ego up your lily white ass."

"_Dean _-"

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone turned to face Sam in shocked silence. Even Castiel looked borderline surprised in a way his usually emotionless expressions didn't portray. He had finally pushed himself off the wall, fuelling himself with his temper.

"We're not solving a damn _thing_, standing here and bickering!" He went on furiously. "Gabriel, now that I know you're alive, I will follow you _wherever_ you fucking run off to next to remind you of what you've forgotten. You can save us all and yourself a lot of agro and time by just coming with us now. Dean, fighting with him isn't going to encourage him to hang around so please, just back down."

A tense silence followed Sam's words, broken only when Gabriel's face split into his usual cocky grin and all presence of his former anger vanished on the spot. "I'm going all tingly. Take control more often, Gigantor."

Dean rolled his eyes at Gabriel's comment, but made no other moves to react. Instead, he turned to Sam. "You got any ideas, then?"

"Only one." Sam said, sounding much calmer now the argument had subsided. "We go to Bobby's. You never know, he might have something on this kind of thing, or something close to it."

Seeing as nobody had any other ideas on what they could do, Sam called the older hunter. After a brief explanation of what had happened, Bobby agreed to house them for as long as it took to get through what material he had. Castiel then offered to fly them all there, but Dean dug his heels in and refused to 'put himself through' that _ever_ again. So eventually, it was agreed that he and Sam would drive in the Impala, and Castiel would accompany Gabriel on the flight to Bobby's. But first, the angels would accompany the Winchesters back to their car because Gabriel insisted on seeing the vehicle that was apparently rated better than what Dean had christened 'Angelic Airways'.

From the random backstreet Gabriel had zapped them to, it took them about half an hour just to find their way back to a street they recognised. For the entire journey, they had to put up with Gabriel complaining like a petulant child about how _long_ walking took, and why couldn't they just _fly_ there? Even Sam's patience was starting to wear thin. When the motel complex _finally_ came into view, Dean threw the keys to Sam and broke away from the group, saying that he was going to cancel their room, and then they could hit the road.

It was as they were approaching the Impala that it happened.

Sam had just turned to the angels to tell them they might as well leave, when he spotted the peculiar expression on Gabriel's face. His mouth was curled into a slight, confused frown, his head was tilted to the side just like Castiel's did, and his honey coloured eyes were staring unblinkingly at the car with an oddly distant glaze in them. Sam opened his mouth to question the archangel's strange new behaviour, but Castiel interrupted him by placing his hand on Sam's forearm. A quick glance at the angel showed Sam that Castiel was watching Gabriel intently, so Sam did the same.

Gabriel had started to move away from them, his movements oddly jerky, as if he were being drawn to the car by some magnetic force he couldn't control. As they watched, he lifted his hand to the door and the locks popped up without hesitation. Still moving as if against his own free will and eyes still distant, Gabriel slid into the backseat and closed the door behind him again. Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Sam stepped forwards for a better look through the window. Then, without warning, Gabriel's body convulsed horribly, and Sam had just taken a step closer to the car when he heard Castiel right behind him.

"Sam, close your eyes _now_!"

He instantly did as he was told, screwing his eyes shut. He felt Castiel grabbing hold of his arm before he was hauled backwards, ending up sprawled on the floor. The next moment, there was the sound of smashing glass and the area beyond his eyelids exploded into brilliant haze of colour; whiteness so bright it hurt even with his eyes tightly closed. Suddenly there was noise all around. There were screams from people who had either heard the glass smashing or seen the flood of light, several of the nearby cars had their horns blaring and the crunch of glass underfoot as somebody nearby moved. Slowly the light began to fade, and Sam vaguely heard Castiel telling him he could open his eyes again.

When he did, he barely managed to bite back a swear word as he scrambled to his feet. Both back windows in the Impala had exploded, showering the ground with shattered glass. Gabriel was still sitting where they'd left him, only now he was slumped in his seat with his eyes closed. At first, panic threatened to take over, but then Sam saw the rhythmic rise and fall of the archangel's chest, and realised he was merely sleeping. The upholstery surrounding him was charred and black, and smoking ever so slightly.

"Dean is going to _freak_." Was all Sam managed to choke out.

And sure enough, that was when the older Winchester decided to return, their duffel bag hanging from his arm. It was pandemonium. He saw the state his precious car was in and Gabriel presumably fast asleep in the ruined backseat, and could only splutter for a moment. But then his entire face seemed to cloud over with rage as he screamed 'THAT'S IT, HIS LUNGS ARE MINE!' and had to be physically restrained by Sam to stop him storming over to the car and wrenching Gabriel out of it. Castiel placed his hand on the top of the Impala and within moments, all hints of damage had been fixed.

He then turned to Sam, who still had one hand secured around his brother's upper arm, and Dean who was breathing so hard he seemed close to hyperventilation and said, "I will see you at Bobby Singer's," before he promptly vanished.

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Sam hissed, finally releasing his grip on Dean and hurrying to the car.

Dean allowed himself to spit, "Son of a _bitch_," before he mirrored Sam and drove quickly from the motel complex.

* * *

About halfway to Bobby's, Gabriel woke but he didn't say a word to either of them. Instead, he caught Sam's worried glance in the rear-view mirror before turning away and staring out the newly repaired window. The silence suited Dean. He was still _fuming_ about seeing his precious baby with her windows blown out, and wasn't ready for a chat with the one responsible any time soon.

They reached Sioux Falls after darkness had long since fallen, covering everything in a velvety black blanket. There was a familiar flash of tan waiting for them on the porch as Dean pulled the Impala in to a stop and everyone clambered out. Gabriel stretched himself to his full height, which looked especially comical as he stood next to Sam at the time, and grinned up at the younger Winchester.

"I feel sorry for you two, you know." He said cheerily, bouncing on the balls of his heels.

"What? Why?" Sam asked because all Dean could muster up in response was an irritated grunt as he passed.

"You have to drive _everywhere_. It takes _way_ too long."

"Hey, I don't have a problem with the way you guys travel." Sam replied with a shrug, leading the way.

Gabriel snickered. "Well, maybe I'll treat you to a free flight with Angel Airways, just the two of us." And he winked and vanished into the house.

Sam remained standing on the porch for a few moments, trying to calm himself. He had long since learnt not to take Gabriel's teasing and flirting seriously, as that pretty much summed up the archangel's personality. Before he had died, Gabriel had made it his own personal game to find the most obscene things to say to Sam to provoke a reaction, so it wasn't like Sam hadn't heard the archangel's flirtatious comments before. But that was back when Gabriel had _known_ Sam. To hear Gabriel making what he thought was just an innocent joke sent Sam's mind reeling as he was hit with the memory of the Gabriel he remembered.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." He muttered.

"Oi, Sam! You coming in or what?!" Dean's yell filtered through the doorway.

Not bothering to reply, Sam shook himself and finally entered Bobby's house, shutting the door behind him. The others were all gathered in the living room. Castiel stood beside one wall that just _happened_ to be directly behind the chair Dean was sat in. Bobby was sat in an armchair, watching Gabriel carefully, who was sprawled out on the sofa. Sam rolled his eyes before crossing the room and shoving the archangel's legs out of the way so that he could sit down, too. Grinning in the wicked way Sam remembered so fondly, Gabriel responded by draping his legs back over Sam's.

"So, any of you idjits got an idea of what's happened here?" Bobby asked, looking at each of them in turn.

Sam and Dean both shook their heads and shrugged, but Castiel gave the smallest of nods. "I believe I have a theory."

"Let's hear it, then."

"When Gabriel died, I believe it caused parts of his Grace to scatter to places that retained some sort of emotional significance. When he was returned, our Father saw fit to leave some of them where they had fallen."

The archangel shrugged. "Sounds as good as anything I could come up with. Beats me why he left parts of me behind, though."

Sam probably imagined it, but he could have _sworn_ Castiel's blue-eyed gaze fixated on him for the briefest moment before they were back on Gabriel. "Presumably He had some ulterior purpose for them, Gabriel."

"So what's my baby got to do with his memories? Why'd a piece of his Grace settle itself in her?" Dean asked, sounding appalled at the prospect of having anything to do with Gabriel flitting around inside his car.

"The Elysian." Sam muttered as it dawned on him. "He faked his death in front of the Gods, and chose to hide in the Impala. Could that be why?"

"A place of refuge. It is possible." Castiel confirmed.

"So all we have to do is find the rest of these Grace fragments and he's fixed?" Bobby asked.

"It would seem so."

"So if a piece of his Grace was in the Impala," Dean began and Sam didn't miss the anxious look his brother shot his way, "Does that mean you've remembered something?"

"I remember Kali sticking a fake sword in me, yeah. And I remember you two being there. So I guess I owe you an apology." He was talking about the two of them, but Dean couldn't help but notice he kept his attention fixed on Sam.

Sam smiled properly for the first time that day as he felt momentary relief wash over him. He had been terrified for a moment then that the memory Gabriel had recalled was his fight with Lucifer. It seemed they had dodged the bullet on that one, though. For now.

"Don't worry about it. No hard feelings."

Seeing as it was already approaching three in the morning and both Sam and Dean had had an emotionally wrecking day, they were in no mood to stay up much longer. After a brief discussion, it was agreed that until Gabriel regained his memory completely, he'd stay at Bobby's with the Winchesters. Castiel, meanwhile, would have to return to Heaven and continue with the civil war, but he'd do as much as he could to help them when he was able. Sam and Dean were sharing their usual room, and Gabriel had been given permission to roam about the ground floor as he didn't need to sleep and do as he pleased, providing it wasn't illegal , didn't make a mess and didn't wake everyone up.

Sometime around five, Sam was sitting still wide awake in his bed, the DVD resting on his palm, battling a moral dilemma inside his head. On one hand, he knew he _had_ to show Gabriel the DVD at some point, because it was certain to contain a fragment of the archangel's Grace. But on the other, he wasn't sure how Gabriel would react to realise that he was killed by his elder brother. Sam didn't want to see the same pain he'd heard in Gabriel's voice when he'd spoken to them about his fighting siblings.

In the end, he slid the DVD back into his jacket pocket. At least he could put off showing Gabriel for as long as possible.


	5. Holding On And Letting Go

_Sometimes we're holding angels, and we never even know_

_Don't know if we'll make it, but we know, we just can't let it show_

_It's everything you wanted_

_It's everything you don't_

_It's one door swinging open and one door swinging closed_

_Some prayers find an answer, some prayers never know_

_We're holding on and letting go_

The mood first thing in the morning was rather frosty.

It seemed that Gabriel had become bored of having nobody to annoy overnight, and had set up several pranks for the humans to discover whenever they woke up. They found that he had replaced the contents of all Bobby's kitchen cabinets and fridge with various sugar products that ranged from lollipops and chocolate bars to sweets that none of them had even _heard_ of, performed some weird angel mojo trick that turned the alcohol in bottles into numerous fruit juices when opened and stuck the television on the sappiest, cheesiest channel he could find.

When confronted by a fuming Bobby about the state of his house and an equally livid Dean – who had woken up to find all of his shirts suddenly three sizes too small – Sam uneasily agreed to speak to Gabriel. He felt as if the other two were ganging up on him, particularly as Bobby had referred to Gabriel as _his_ angel when Gabriel was nothing of the sort, but they were in such bad tempers it was easier (And safer) to just nod and go along with it. After all, Dean had pointed out; Sam had been the only one to evade Gabriel's early morning pranks.

The talk didn't go that well.

Throughout the whole thing, Gabriel was sprawled out on the sofa, sucking shamelessly on a strawberry flavoured lollipop and Sam had to work hard to keep his mind blissfully blank of what he wanted to imagine with the archangel in a similar situation. It was stressful and difficult, not helped any by Gabriel's childish responses which were slowly driving Sam to the brink of his sanity.

Eventually, Sam ordered Gabriel to refrain from repeating his actions again or else, and left. He wasn't quick enough to miss Gabriel's cheerful voice say, "I will, as long as you're delivering the punishment". Sam could practically _see_ the smirk and wink that must have accompanied those words, and had to hurry from the room before Gabriel saw the explosion of mental images in his head.

After that, Sam and Dean had busied themselves with working out just where Gabriel's Grace fragments might have materialised while Bobby set out to buy more beer and Gabriel continued to make his way through his enormous supply of confections. They eventually settled on four possibilities, which were the University where Gabriel had been posing as a cleaner, the Mystery Spot, the warehouse that had acted as TV Land and, to Sam's dread, the site of the Elysian.

This was followed by a heated debate in which Dean tried to argue that the latter was their first logical port of call, as it was closest to Bobby's. But Sam refused point blank to agree to the suggestion, claiming the only reason was that he didn't want _that_ to be Gabriel's first memory. Dean spotted the glimmer of pain in his brother's eyes before Sam could hide it, and understood, albeit reluctantly. Therefore, it was finally decided that, as the Mystery Spot was the farthest away and would take the longest time to acquire, it should be where they started.

But then they ran into another problem in the form of a stubborn midget archangel. Gabriel flatly refused to be 'cooped up' in the Impala for hours on end, and nothing either of them could say would convince him. Well, _Sam_ tried to convince him. Dean just threatened him, which resulted in his tapes 'mysteriously' vanishing and the radio getting stuck on the pop channel. As Dean almost had a nervous breakdown at this discovery and tried to reach for the nearest gun to fill Gabriel with as many bullets as he could, Sam had the good sense to call on Castiel.

For the first time, they were in luck. Castiel wasn't busy and was perfectly willing to transport them to the Mystery Spot, and they could call on him when they were ready to be taken back. Gabriel's joke about an angelic taxi service was completely lost on him, but Sam managed a weak chuckle. At first, it seemed that Dean was going to prove to be a hindrance in this plan, until Gabriel patted his shoulder and he slumped forwards almost immediately, unconscious.

"He's going to be pissed when he wakes up, you know." Sam had said as he deposited his out cold brother onto Castiel, who was looking disapproving but didn't speak.

Gabriel had shrugged, taking a bite out of yet another chocolate bar. "He's _always_ pissed. And anyhow, this way's much quicker. I'll be out of your hair before you know it."  
Sam hadn't responded to that, not knowing what he could say that would give away how he felt about the archangel. So he just allowed Castiel to press his fingers to his forehead and closed his eyes. A moment later they were landing in an all-too familiar street; one Sam had vowed never to visit again. He had walked it countless times with Dean, and on half of those occasions, Dean hadn't made it to the other end. And that was all because of the archangel beside him, who was propping his still unconscious brother against the nearest wall. Castiel had already gone.

Dean was brought back with the slightest touch from Gabriel, and as Sam had predicted, he was in a horrific mood with both of them; Gabriel for knocking him out and Sam for standing idly by and allowing it to happen. But Sam had dealt with Dean in worse tempers before, and promptly ignored the furious glared that were fired him as they took off down the road, and Gabriel just didn't care.

"So where are we going?" The archangel asked brightly, practically skipping beside Sam, also ignoring the proverbial storm cloud behind them that was Dean.

"Do you remember anything about this place?" Sam asked, stopping at the door to the diner. "At all?"

Gabriel peered around and shook his head, a slight frown on his face. "I can't feel anything at the moment. But then again, I didn't know the first one was in that car until we were almost right on top of it. Should we try somewhere else?"

"No, not yet. I have an idea of a place we can look while we're here. But first, we have to eat."

As he spoke, he indicated to the diner a short distance away from where they were. A little further down, he could see the fence that he had confronted Gabriel in front of not that long ago, and quickly turned away. It hurt enough just being back in the town; he didn't know if he could deal with the influx of equally painful memories that came with it, too. He'd make sure they chose a completely different booth when they entered the diner to eat, and hope a Grace fragment wasn't hidden somewhere within. He didn't like their chances of evacuating everyone before Gabriel burned their eyes out of their sockets.

As it turned out, Sam needn't have worried about the latter. The moment he reached the door to the diner and opened it to usher the other two inside, he heard the sound of Dean clearing his throat. Turning back, Sam saw why. Gabriel's head was tilted to the side, eyebrows furrowed slightly, and had the familiar distant expression in his eyes. They were staring at a spot straight ahead, right in the direction Sam had just been looking. Without a word of warning, Gabriel took off along the street, continuing to move as if possessed, Sam and Dean following close behind.

And then suddenly, Gabriel had stopped dead, and Sam felt the pit of his stomach drop horribly. The archangel had come to a halt directly opposite the very fence that he had been pushed against by the fuming younger Winchester, a useless wooden stake pressed to his throat. For a moment, all three of them stood as still as statues; Sam and Dean watching Gabriel and Gabriel staring at the green railing. Then, slowly, the archangel's arm began to lift towards it. The moment his fingertips brushed against the steel, his body shuddered in the same way it had in the Impala.

Sam, remembering the volatile power of the last time they'd found a fragment, hauled Dean backwards with a shout of instruction to close his eyes. A second later there was an explosion of light directly where Gabriel stood, followed quickly by smashing glass and the blaring of several nearby car horns. It was over in a moment, although the chaos of noise remained. Sam surged to his feet, scrambling to Gabriel who had slumped to the floor, looking again as if he were sleeping. He could hear the sound of doors opening above the din, curious and scared voices floating towards them.

"Dean, c'mon, hurry up!" Sam exclaimed, hefting the small archangel into his arms.

It was a shock at how light Gabriel was for somebody with such an unhealthy appetite, but Sam didn't hang around to dwell on it. Holding the archangel in a fireman's carry, he and Dean fled from the scene as quickly as they were able.

* * *

"You're quite the gymnast, aren't you Deano?" Gabriel grinned smugly at Dean from over the lip of his sundae glass, swirling the spoon around to gather the last remnants of the sugary treat. "Pretty graceful flip you performed when that car hit you."

Opposite him, Dean was clenching his fists under the table and growling under his breath while Sam rolled his eyes wearily, knowing what was coming. "I told you to shut up, Gabriel."

"What?" The archangel cried innocently, widening his eyes. "I'm just refreshing my recently discovered memories!"

"You've been refreshing them for the past hour." Dean shot back through gritted teeth, his tone acidic.

The only response the archangel gave was to grin wickedly and return to his dessert. Sam sighed quietly, shaking his head. Gabriel had come to a few minutes after they'd rounded the corner by smirking and announcing that being held in Sam's arms was an enjoyable experience and that they should do it again but with fewer clothes. Sam had refused to acknowledge the comment, while Dean grumbled about needing brain bleach to rid himself of the thought.

After that, they'd hastily backtracked to the diner, in desperate need of sustenance and tucked themselves away at a far table, anxiously ignoring the other customers who were gossiping excitedly about the explosion outside. Gabriel had then begun recalling all of the Tuesdays he'd made Sam endure with abundant glee, whilst Dean struggled not to grab his knife and shove it through the archangel's throat.

"So what now, Samsquatch?" Gabriel asked, using his finger to scoop out every last bit of sundae.

"I say we call Cas. I want to get the hell out of here now." Dean said, still sounding surly. It seemed he was still very touchy about the hundred deaths he'd died by the archangel's hands.

Gabriel grinned. "I dunno, it's kind of fun here, isn't it? And I wouldn't say no to being shoved against another fence, Sammy." He winked, and then slid his finger, dripping melted ice cream and caramel, into his mouth.

Sam forced himself to evade his gaze from this, and focused on a spot on the wall above Gabriel's head instead. "I don't think we should leave yet. I want to check the Mystery Spot itself before we leave. Just in case."

He had dropped a hint or two about the final death Dean had died on that horrible Wednesday morning Sam would never forget, but Gabriel didn't seem to remember anything about it. It wasn't like those months Sam had spent hunting Gabriel down or the pleading he'd gone through to make the archangel resurrect his brother were particularly important, but Sam felt they owed Gabriel everything they knew. As this thought occurred to him, the DVD buried deep inside his jacket back at Bobby's came flying back, and the pit of his stomach dropped.

"So shall we head on up there?" Gabriel asked, finally pushing the now completely empty glass away.

"No, we'll wait until it closes." Sam replied, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu and pushed the DVD to the very back of his mind. "That way, when you explode and faint, we won't have _this_." He inclined his head to the chattering townspeople.

The only response the archangel gave was another blinding grin that left Sam's stomach knotting, and he had to turn away quickly. After a few minutes of silence, Dean brought up the idea of calling Castiel before they actually left for the Mystery Spot, reasoning that they would have to make a speedy getaway if Gabriel lit the place up. Sam agreed, remembering all too well how quickly the owner had appeared the last time they'd visited. Dean left to make the call almost immediately after, leaving Sam and Gabriel alone.

"You alright there, Sammy?" Gabriel asked, seemingly unaware of the flinch that ran through the hunter's body at the mention of the nickname.

"Yeah, couldn't be better." He lied through his teeth.

Gabriel studied him hard for a moment or two, before he leant forwards on the table and folded his arms. "Don't try and kid a kidder, Sammy. I'm not buying it. Something's knocking around in that noggin of yours. I can feel it."

Panicking, Sam blurted out the first thing that popped into his mind and had to work hard to keep his voice steady and conversational. "It's just tough being back here. It's like I'm going through it all again; reliving all of those Tuesdays again."

To his immense relief, Gabriel fell back against the seat, sniggering. "Sorry Sammy, but some of them were _funny_! I don't think I did all of that and put in all of that effort just to mess about with you, though. What was it all for?"

"You don't remember?"

Gabriel shook his head, and then his eyes lit up in an excited gleam that made Sam's heart hammer. "But that's what you think could be at the Mystery Spot?"

"Yeah. Me and you, we uh.. Had a talk about it there. Just the two of us."

"Ooh-la-la." Gabriel said with a cheesy grin and wink. "Sounds riveting."

Sam cursed Dean's timing as he chose just that moment to return, Castiel at his heels, just as the furious blush was sweeping across his entire face. Dean cast the two at the table a scrutinising glance, which only made Sam's face glow brighter. Castiel stood at Dean's shoulder, his eyes fixed on Gabriel who was lounging back in his seat, grinning triumphantly at Sam's obvious embarrassment.

"Hello, Gabriel. It appears you have regained some of your memory."

"Hey bro. How'd ya guess?"

"I can feel the remnants of your Grace lingering outside this very building."

While the angels were talking, Dean was still standing above Sam with that knowing, slightly smug expression on his face, despite the best bitchfaces Sam could make. Then, without a word, he slid into his original seat beside Sam, and indicated that Castiel should do the same beside Gabriel. The elder Winchester passed the time by continuously questioning Sam about what he had missed that had provoked such a reaction, and Gabriel making several suggestive comments didn't exactly help. Sam flatly refused to say a word, though, and was immensely relieved when Castiel announced it was time to leave.

As it turned out, they needn't have called the other angel at all.

Sam led the way through the darkened rooms of the Mystery Spot, careful not to make a noise and rouse the owner again. Gabriel was practically bouncing along beside him, in the process of unwrapping a chocolate bar. Dean came next, his every sense on hyper-alert, gun tucked hidden in the waistband of his jeans, ready to be pulled out at a moment's notice. Castiel brought up the rear, eyeing the surrounding displays with an expression similar to the utmost confusion, his head tilted in its trademark angle.

"This is.. Entertainment?" He asked as they passed underneath a table jutting out from the ceiling.

"To some people." Sam replied with a shrug.

"Humans." Gabriel said with affection in his voice. "You gotta love 'em."

No sooner had he spoken than the now familiar changes overcame him. Sam drew back, allowing Gabriel free passage past him while Castiel reached out and held Dean where he stood. They all watched as Gabriel entered the next room alone, his eyes fixed on some point by the far wall. Sam felt his chest constrict uncomfortably; it was the very place in which he had begged to have Dean's life returned after stabbing the Bobby clone.

His eyes were closed long before Castiel's shout of warning came, and he watched the light flaring up behind his eyelids; heard the shattering glass of the windows that was certain to attract the owner's attention. He then became aware of a hand grabbing his wrist, but not from behind as he had anticipated, but from the front. His eyes flew open and he gaped when he saw Gabriel grinning broadly, still holding the chocolate bar.

"See you two back at Singer's." He said, before Sam felt his stomach dropping as he was pulled upwards. A moment later his feet were hitting the hard ground outside Bobby's and he staggered, but Gabriel, who still had hold of his wrist, kept him upright.

"You didn't.. You should have.. What..?" Sam tried and completely failed to unjam his confused thoughts.

Gabriel laughed. "Try and string a coherent sentence together, Sammy. It makes it easier to understand you."

Sam swallowed and tried to gather his feelings, but it wasn't easy because he was all too well aware of the fact Gabriel was still holding him. Eventually, he managed a deep breath and said, "I thought you fainted every time you found a bit of your Grace?"

"I did, but I guess I learnt to stop the passing out thing. Not good for my image, you know?"

Sam couldn't help it; he grinned and curled his fingers around Gabriel's wrist. "Being carried away by me wasn't so great after all, huh? Thought you said you liked it?"

Gabriel looked stunned and remained silent, and that was all it took for the pit of Sam's stomach to vanish completely and for blind panic to settle in his chest. The next second, Dean and Castiel were beside them and Bobby was marching out of his house, demanding to know what was going on. Sam yanked his wrist out of Gabriel's hand as if the archangel's touch had electrocuted him, and stepped away. He felt like smashing his head on the wall. What was he doing? He'd got swept up in the moment when Gabriel hadn't let go of him, and it had been like old times when the archangel had his full memory.

He was barely aware of the conversation going on around him as the group trailed into the house, but he could feel the burn of his brother's gaze. He managed to stay downstairs, listening as Dean and Gabriel recounted the finding of two Grace fragments, but after that he complained of a headache and began heading for the stairs before anyone could say a word. As he hurried away, though, he couldn't help but catch sight of Gabriel's eyes locked on him, confusion etched all over his face. Nobody followed Sam, though, and when Dean went up to their bedroom an hour later that night, Sam was already fast asleep.

* * *

Nobody mentioned Sam's peculiar behaviour in the morning, and Gabriel was pretending to have forgotten about the embarrassing incident outside Bobby's, which Sam was eternally grateful for. The archangel also seemed to be making an extra effort to save Sam any stress; they had all awoken to find no unexpected surprises courtesy of their resident Trickster. Bobby acknowledged this with a gruff nod in Gabriel's direction when he came downstairs, but all Dean did was glare at the archangel suspiciously and ask just what horrible twist he was planning for them next.

Dean finally put his foot down and refused to take another lift from Castiel to their next destinations, despite the fact that it would take nearly fifteen hours to get to Ohio. After an hour in the Impala though, Sam couldn't help himself from sniggering as Gabriel complained yet again that he was bored and Dean tried not to veer off the road so that he could reach for a firearm. An hour later, Dean's hair had been turned every colour of the rainbow, the Impala had been changed from sleek black to hot pink and back again and the radio had been blasting '_Call Me Maybe_' for at least twenty minutes. In short, Dean was one step short of an emotional breakdown and Sam had cracked several ribs trying not to laugh.

Things didn't improve much when Dean finally relented and pulled into a motel somewhere in Illinois in a car that was now a sparkly turquoise. He had tried to stop the barrage of crap music by shutting off the radio and then throwing his boot at Gabriel when it continued, regardless. The archangel responded by cranking up the volume so that when Dean opened the door to leave the car, a wave of some shitty boy-band followed him which attracted a few judgemental looks. Unsurprisingly, Dean left Sam and Gabriel in their room and took off for a local bar.

Dean's bad temper didn't improve any the following day when, hung-over and unable to drive, Sam took over and Gabriel sat in the backseat, as good as gold. When they reached Ohio, Sam volunteered to take Gabriel to the warehouse that had been the setting for TV Land, while Dean went to booked them into a motel, sent them the address and then caught up on his sleep. Sam found his way back to the abandoned warehouse easily and stood at the doorway while Gabriel swept past him. His phone buzzed with Dean's location just as Gabriel reached the spot where they had trapped him in the holy oil, and the insides of the building were lit up with his Grace. All the way to the motel, Gabriel talked nonstop about how _hilarious_ the Herpexia ad had been, and just how painful _was_ the Nutcracker game?

The next morning, Dean joined them on the short drive to the University where they had first met Gabriel, who had been posing as the Trickster. Gabriel pulled some angelic mojo on the staff and students, and the three of them were allowed to wander the campus at their own leisure. They tried several places; the professor's office, the spot where he had fallen, the lockers Gabriel had used and even the stairwell where they'd spoken. They eventually discovered the fragment in the, thankfully, empty auditorium where they had all fought.

Compared to the drive down, the journey back to Bobby's was rather boring. Gabriel spent all of the time slouched across the entire span of the backseat, deep in thought about what he was remembering. Sam wanted to question him, to ask him what he was thinking, but he could never summon the courage. Dean was positively chipper now that the annoyance that had constantly plagued him before seemed to have diminished, and had reverted back to his usual habit of humming along to his tapes as he drove.

By the time they'd reached Iowa, Gabriel still hadn't said a word and Sam was starting to worry. He was just contemplating sparking a conversation by weighing up the pros and cons of doing so, when the archangel finally unglued his lips.

"You two chuckleheads know how I died, don't you?"

The question was so abrupt and unexpected, that all they could do was exchange a confused glance before Sam said, "Huh?"

"You knew that I'd died when we first met. How did it happen? I've noticed that hasn't been on this little memory tour so far."

Before Dean could answer, Sam said quickly, "That's because it's really far from here. We'd need Castiel again, and Dean's not too keen on flying."

Gabriel nodded although he still looked solemn and serious. It was so out of character to see someone as hyperactive and childish as Gabriel looking and acting more like Castiel that even Dean looked a little concerned. Nobody said a word though, and the rest of the journey was spent in a rather tense silence. As they pulled up outside Bobby's, Sam racked his brains, trying to think of something, _anything_, that he could say, but he came up blank.

How were you supposed to comfort someone when you knew they'd been killed by their own brother?

* * *

The next morning, Bobby announced that he and Rufus had found a possible lead to a local vampire nest, and wondered if any of them wanted to come along to help. Dean agreed straight away, but both Sam and Gabriel, who were both still in low spirits, refused. Ten minutes later and they were in the house by themselves. Sam was slowly draining a beer while Gabriel picked half-heartedly at a chocolate bar from his stash.

Then suddenly, the archangel spoke. "You were Luci's vessel."

Sam started, not expecting the break of silence. Next came the stab of pain at Gabriel's use of Lucifer's nickname as he remembered the last time he'd heard that being said aloud. The younger Winchester took another drag of beer, before nodding. "Yeah, I was."

"What happened?"

Sam managed a weak grin. "Does this look like an Apocalypse-ridden world to you?"

Gabriel met his eye and the corners of his lips twitched. "Depends on your point of view."

Sam allowed a huff of laughter to escape him at that. "I suppose."

"I can't remember any of that. Did I die before it all happened?"

"Kind of." Sam said carefully, not wanting to give anything away but at the same time avoiding telling Gabriel that he was withholding information. "Lucifer was out of the cage and walking around in a replacement vessel, but he was coming after me. You died soon after TV Land, and that's when everything went to shit."

"Did you say yes?"

Sam nodded. "Eventually. We followed some advice on how to trap him back in the Cage, but he had to be in my body so I could put him back. But it kind of.. Backfired. I got control back at a crucial time, pushed Michael into the Cage and jumped in after him."

"And then you came back, but without your soul." Gabriel finished.

"Yeah. I got it back recently, but sometimes it feels like I'm still down there with them." He barely suppressed a shudder.

There was a flash in Gabriel's eyes, and for a moment, he looked livid. "You're free of them, Sammy. And now I'm back, I'll make sure Luci doesn't get to you again."

Sam felt a horrible clenching in his chest, and for a moment, he nearly told the archangel what had happened at the Elysian; about how Gabriel had sacrificed himself to give them and Kali a chance to escape from Lucifer. But he _couldn't_. He knew it was unfair and selfish of him to keep such details to himself, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want Gabriel remembering that, not when he had the option to keep it from his memory forever. Sam honestly didn't think he'd be able to handle it if he discovered that Dean had killed him, and the bond between the archangels had been much stronger than theirs.

He was going to do what Dean had told him to all that time ago. He was going to destroy that DVD.

"Back in a sec." He said quickly, and hurried from the kitchen and up the stairs.

He quickly found the jacket that he had wrapped around the DVD and scooped it up into his arms. He didn't want to just take the disc down and throw it away; Gabriel might ask questions. No, he was going to keep it hidden and dispose of it as subtly as he could. His conscience was screaming at him that it was _wrong_, but he ignored it. He was doing Gabriel a favour. They'd just have to make up something to tell him about the Elysian. Dean would be sure to agree if Sam persisted enough, he was certain.

When he wandered back into the kitchen, Gabriel was still sat at the table, chewing on the chocolate. As soon as Sam stepped into the room though, he knew he was in trouble.

Gabriel's entire body stiffened and he turned to stare at Sam. Or, more specifically, at what was in Sam's arms. The younger Winchester felt a moment of blind panic as the archangel slid out of his seat and began to make his way over with those familiar, jerky movements. He had to run, fast. He tried to move his legs, but they had become rooted to the spot. Gabriel was still walking towards him, arm reaching out.

"Gabriel, no! No, you don't want to see this!" Sam cried, struggling. "Gabriel, listen to me! You don't want to know this! You're better off not remembering!"

But it was no use.

The archangel's outstretched fingers slid through the folds of Sam's jacket and the second they touched the disc, his eyes became full of a striking white light. Sam screwed his own together tightly, feeling dread coursing through his veins. He felt a powerful whoosh of air coming from Gabriel who was still standing right in front of him, and heard the windows in Bobby's kitchen shattering.

When the light faded and Sam opened his eyes, he instantly wished he'd kept them firmly closed. He wished he'd never thought of throwing away the DVD and had left it where it was. He wished he'd never kept the damn thing.

Because Gabriel was standing there, his eyes full of more hurt and looking more _broken_ than Sam had ever seen him look before. Sam opened his mouth to say something, but he never got the chance because with a flapping of wings, he was facing an empty kitchen.


	6. Chasing Cars

_I need your grace to remind me to find my own_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_All that I am, all that I ever was_

_Is here in your perfect eyes_

_They're all that I can see_

Sam's initial reaction was to remain frozen to the spot, heart hammering against his ribs, unable to rid himself of the image of Gabriel's last expression. Little by little though, movement began returning to his frozen limbs, and he dropped the jacket and the disc with it on the kitchen floor. He walked to the table, his legs shaking so badly it was a miracle he made it without collapsing, and used the wooden surface to support himself. Gabriel's abandoned chocolate bar sat on the tabletop, but the sight of it sent Sam's stomach roiling so he turned away.

"Gabriel!" He yelled, eyes fixed heaven-ward, tone desperate and pleading. "Gabriel, I'm sorry, I should have just told you! _Gabriel_!"

But there was no response.

No fluttering of wings, no cocky voice cracking a joke or making a remark from behind him, no creaks of somebody making their way towards the kitchen from another room. Nothing but ice cold silence.

Sam felt tears collecting in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Instead, he whirled around and rammed both fists against the nearest wall, screaming out in frustration and dismay, glass crunching beneath his boots. He had been trying to stop Gabriel finding that stupid DVD, knowing that the truth would hurt him in the worst way imaginable. And in doing so, Sam had succeeded in hurting him even more.

His hands were sending spasms of pain shooting up and down his arms but he ignored them. He just trudged through the shards of broken glass littering the kitchen floor and into the living room, where he collapsed onto the sofa. It was here, curled up on the sofa that was too small for his huge build, that he discovered Gabriel's unique candy-floss-flavoured scent all over it. Inhaling the fragrance was enough to destroy the feeble wall he'd erected, and he allowed himself to cry. He'd been trying to fix it, and had ended up breaking it beyond repair. Story of his life.

That was how Bobby and Dean found him when they returned from their hunt, cheerful from its success.

The second they saw the state of the house and Sam in the foetal position on the sofa, their moods fell. Bobby hurried into his kitchen to survey the damage while Dean ran to Sam's side, demanding to know what had happened. Sam refused to budge from the sofa, wouldn't even raise his head, and spoke in a low rumble.

"He's gone, Dean."

"Who is? Sammy, what happened?"

"Gabriel. He's gone. He's left. He's not coming back, and it's my fault."

"Dean."

The elder Winchester glanced up to see Bobby standing in the doorway. The older hunter inclined his head towards the kitchen and Dean reluctantly followed him, hesitant to leave Sam. When he joined Bobby and saw the glass strewn floor, he muttered a swear word under his breath. Bobby frowned, and then pointed at a bundle of something on the ground. Just visible, deep underneath the crease of the material, was something shiny.

"What the -?"

Dean bent down and lifted up what he recognised instantly as Sam's jacket. The sleeves had been torn by what he could only assume was the flying glass, but he was focused on what had been buried inside it. A disc fell out from the protective hold of the jacket when it was lifted, landing with a loud clatter on the floor. Exchanging a look with Bobby, Dean scooped it up and stared at it before he stood.

"What's that?" Bobby asked, also looking at the disc.

"I've got an idea." Dean replied, giving the smashed windows another glance, his tone turning angry. "And Sam had better hope I'm wrong."

Without another word, he turned on his heel and marched back into the living room, the jacket falling from his grip on the way. Bobby followed close behind, wanting answers just as much as Dean did.

"Sam, what is this?" Dean asked sharply, coming to a halt in front of the sofa and practically shoving the disc into his brother's face.

When Sam saw what Dean was holding, and it was frankly a little difficult to miss when it was practically touching his nose, he whimpered and turned away, shoving his face into the arm of the sofa. Dean sounded furious, and Sam couldn't blame him. He'd told Sam to throw that DVD away, to get rid of it before it caused anymore hurt or upset. Sam had just been so desperate to hold onto a little piece of Gabriel, no matter what it was, that he hadn't listened. And now that had well and truly blown up in his face.

"Sam, _what is it_?" Dean growled, sounding feral.

"Gabriel's suicide note." He muttered, his voice muffled by the sofa.

"What?"

"It's his suicide note!" Sam shouted, turning around to glare at his brother. "It's Gabriel's suicide note, okay?!"

Dean seemed too angry for speech, but Sam could see the fury in his eyes. In the end, he managed to snap, "I told you to throw it away," through tightly gritted teeth.

"I know."

"So why didn't you?"

Sam didn't answer; he couldn't. All he could do was turn his gaze back to the sofa and slump against it, feeling as pathetic as he looked. Dean gave a frustrated snarl, before he threw the DVD onto the sofa at Sam's feet and turned away, bringing up a hand to rub his eyes. Bobby watched them, a frown on his face, and quickly put two and two together. Sam had hidden the disc, which obviously contained the archangel's suicide note instructing them on how to avert the Apocalypse, and Gabriel had discovered it. It had clearly contained a Grace fragment, and Gabriel, realising the truth, had fled.

"Castiel, we need your help." Dean said unexpectantly, breaking the silence.

A moment later and the angel stood in the room, a short distance from Dean. "What is it?"

"Gabriel's gone AWOL. He's left." Dean clarified irritably upon seeing Castiel's head moving towards its confused tilt. "I need you to help us look for him."

Castiel's frown deepened a little. "Gabriel is exemplary at evading detection."

"I get that, Cas, but right now I'm willing to try anything."

"Very well, Dean, but I doubt I will have much success." And he left with a flap of wings. As soon as he had gone, Dean strode over to the door and wrenched it open.

"I'm going to go looking around nearby. We got lucky last time, maybe we will again." He still sounded livid, so Sam made no attempts to invite himself along, and Dean didn't ask. Instead, he just slammed the door and they heard him storming off towards the Impala.

As the sound of the car's engine grew fainter as Dean drove away, Bobby vanished into the kitchen and came back again, carrying a broom. He walked to the sofa and thrust the broom at Sam, who took it without question.

"Make yourself useful, boy, and clean up the glass while I go and get something to patch the windows up." He sounded stern, but not angry as Dean had been. Sam suspected he was just annoyed about his ruined windows rather than Sam's refusal to obey Dean's instructions.

Soon after that, Sam was left in the house by himself. He picked himself up from the sofa, thankful that neither Dean nor Bobby had noticed the redness of his eyes and traipsed into the kitchen. Dean had dropped his jacket on the floor after discovering the disc, so this was the first thing Sam picked up. Without looking, he slung the jacket onto the table, covering up Gabriel's unfinished bar in the process. He then set about sweeping up the glass, piling it up so that he could pick it up more safely and easily.

"Gabriel, I know you can hear me." He said as he worked. "Or maybe you're ignoring me right now. Hell, I don't blame you if you are. I'm sorry, okay? I should have told you about what happened at the Elysian ages ago; maybe that should have even been the first thing we showed you. I had no right to keep it from you. I'm sorry. Please Gabriel, please forgive me." He paused, ears pricked for the slightest noise, but nothing happened.

"Okay. I can take a hint. Consider yourself finally out of our hair, and if we see each other again, I'll make sure to restrain myself." He had meant it as a joke, but it sent a searing agony deep within his chest to say.

It was only made worse when there was no response back; no effort on Gabriel's part to argue against it. The stony silence of the house was more than enough of an answer for Sam.

He finished cleaning up the glass without speaking again, dropped it all into a bag and threw it away outside. He then spent the next ten minutes carefully plucking any remaining glass out of the window frames and throwing them away, too. It was careful work and he cut his fingers several times, but he didn't even wince. He'd had much worse over the years, after all.

He'd just finished picking the frames clean when Bobby came back, carrying four sheets of cardboard and parcel tape. Together they patched up the blank holes that used to be windows, Sam offering to mend the sides outside seeing as it was his fault they were broken in the first place. When he got back inside, it was to discover that Bobby had binned the chocolate bar, and was in the process of emptying the cupboard Gabriel had used to store his treats in. Sam tried to take over, but Bobby waved him off and deep down, Sam was grateful for it.

Dean didn't come back until gone midnight, but he didn't have any leads. He'd questioned everyone he'd come across, described Gabriel's looks and personality, but nobody had seen the archangel, which to be honest, wasn't surprising. If Gabriel wanted to leave, he wouldn't have chosen to hang around in the local area. He could be on the other side of the world for all they knew. The long time Dean had been gone had done one positive thing, though, and that was it had obliterated his temper. Although Sam still had to endure a rant about what an idiot he'd been, the bite had gone from Dean's insults.

The three of them then settled in Bobby's living room, necking back beer after beer, waiting for news from Castiel. An hour after Dean, the angel returned, but without good news. It seemed Gabriel was masking his presence too well to be tracked, but Castiel promised he would continue investigating and report back whenever he found something. Sam thanked him before he removed himself from everyone's company and fell into bed, feeling hollow inside.

* * *

The next morning, Dean wanted to hit the road and try to put the whole, horrible experience behind them. Sam, however, refused. Despite Dean's arguments that Gabriel could find them anytime he wanted to if Sam made a habit of calling him each day, the younger Winchester refused to leave. He just wanted to give the archangel a chance to calm down, and to stay in the last place they had seen each other if Gabriel wanted to find them quickly.

After a great deal of bickering and ending with the automatic comebacks of 'Bitch' and 'Jerk', Dean relented to staying at Bobby's for a week. If Gabriel didn't show up before that, they'd be leaving anyway and Sam would have to update him on their movements day by day. Sam repeated his news to thin air with the hope that Gabriel was listening, and left it at that.

But Gabriel made no moves to respond.

Castiel continued to pop into Bobby's living room every evening to inform them of his progress on his search for his elusive brother, but the news never changed. There was never any sign, never any tell-tale indication Gabriel was leaving behind that showed where he was hiding or how he was feeling. The angel would then promise to continue searching, and then he'd leave again.

Shortly after Gabriel's rapid departure, Dean took the DVD from the sofa and threw it straight into the bin. He had wanted to smash the damn thing into little tiny pieces because of all the trouble it had caused, but Sam didn't let him. It was crazy, but now the stupid disc was the last thing he had left of Gabriel's, he wanted to at least keep it intact. There was a small part of him that wanted to ask Dean to keep it, but he knew that if he dared, his brother would quite literally tear him a new one. So he simply watched from the window as it was thrown away, and then went straight back to the sofa. The only thing he could do now was wait and pray that Gabriel chose to forgive him for what he'd done.

But after three days, Sam was starting to lose hope and it was showing. He'd taken to spending each day sprawled on Bobby's sofa, thumbing through textbooks or researching online just for something to _do_, hardly eating and sleeping even less. He hadn't gone to his bed in two days, and had instead taken to practically living on the sofa, barely speaking a word to anybody. He became increasingly short-tempered and snappy, and pretty soon both his older brother and Bobby were starting to lose patience with him.

"I'm even starting to wish the midget comes back to bug us again." Dean revealed grumpily to Bobby on the fourth night, just after Sam had hurled the remote control at him for using his laptop without permission. "Anything to get whatever's crawled up Sam's ass out."

There was a brief but welcomed break the following morning in the form of a phone call from Rufus. It turned out that the vampires they'd flushed out of hiding a few days ago had had reinforcements, and they were _pissed_. Dean had been reluctant to ask for Sam's added help because the idea of spending any time with his brother in his current mood in a confined space was a daunting one. But Bobby had then pointed out that the hunt could be used as a means of taking Sam's mind off of his problems, and getting out of the house would definitely be a helpful step.

But when asked, Sam refused, saying it wasn't a great time and that he wouldn't exactly be on top of his game, seeing as he'd barely slept since recently. It was a feeble excuse but frankly, both Dean and Bobby wanted a break from being near the proverbial storm cloud Sam had been impersonating lately, and so they left him in the house alone.

As soon as they'd gone, Sam reverted back to doing what he'd done whenever there was nobody else around; praying to a God he was certain had stopped listening a long time ago. But, as he had reasoned to himself during one of the many nights he'd spent lying awake on the too-small sofa, _someone_ had brought Gabriel back in the first place. And there wasn't much in the world that had enough juice to restore an archangel. So that could only mean that, somewhere, God was still hiding, and maybe he was listening after all. So Sam had started praying again, but only when he was alone. He knew that if he were to reveal his secret to Dean, his brother would only treat it with scorn and disbelief.

Clearing his throat, Sam began to speak. "Still not heard anything from Gabriel. I didn't really expect much, to be honest. When he didn't come back after the first day, I knew he wasn't coming back at all. And I didn't think Castiel would be able to find him. I mean, Cas is smart and all, but this is Gabriel we're talking about. The guy managed to hide away from the whole of heaven for _ages_, and I doubt he's forgotten how to stay invisible when he needs to."

Sam came to a halt and surveyed the empty room around him, before he sighed wearily. "I know you're out there, somewhere, because you brought him back. So just.. Just act like a proper father and go speak to your son, okay? At least get him to tell me to stop wishing, and to let him go. Just give me an _answer_, because this waiting is _killing_ me. _Please_."

His tone had gone from mildly annoyed to something just short of desperate, pleading. He just couldn't stand it much longer. Any response from Gabriel would be better than just waiting and waiting, wishing and praying so hard he was practically straining things, and then to go to bed with the disappointment a whole heap worse than it had been the day before. Even if it was just Gabriel popping up long enough to flip him off, at least that was an answer, and he could move on. But right now he was teetering on an edge, not knowing what to do next or how to act.

"Come on, _please_. Just give me something, _anything_, to go on.. Gabriel, I'm _begging_ you."

Sam waited for a few moments, but the house remained as still and silent as ever. He groaned, bringing his hands up to cover his face as he slumped backwards onto the sofa.

And that was when he heard it.

Coming from his room upstairs was the faint sound of bed springs creaking as if something had just collapsed onto it. Sam jolted, hunter senses making him quick to react and alert. He immediately leapt to his feet, eyes fixed on the ceiling. There were no further noises, but Sam knew better than to believe it had just been his imagination or if whatever it was had gone. Moving slowly, trying not to make any noise, he crept across the room and grabbed a discarded shotgun propped up against the wall. Then, gaze still fixed upwards and ears strained for any movement, Sam made his way to the stairs.

As he climbed them, a thousand and one possibilities were rushing through his head of just what could be awaiting him at the top. He quickly rejected the idea that it was an innocent animal that had just happened to find its way in through the window. After all, there was no easy access to the window from his and Dean's room, and whatever had made the bed creak hadn't been as small as a bird.

So that meant it was either a person, or something wholly more dangerous. But that was where it made no sense. If it was a human burglar, why fall onto the bed and thus alert anybody left in the house that there was an intruder? It wasn't like he was being quiet; he'd just been talking to himself and hadn't been making much of an effort to keep his voice down. And if it was a demon or some other creature, again, why would it make a noise? If it was a supernatural being, it should know the house it was in was that of a hunter, so making noise would be detrimental to its health.

Highly confused but prepared to shoot nonetheless, Sam stole along the hall and burst into the room, gun poised, finger resting on the trigger. Honey-coloured eyes met his in an unimpressed stare that left the weapon falling from his hands and onto the floor, and he was only able to stammer one word.

"G.. Gabriel.."

The archangel was spread flat out on Sam's bed, hands behind his head, candy cane sticking out from between his lips. He was still staring at Sam _hard_, his mouth curled into a deep set frown. Eventually, he nodded towards the gun at the hunter's feet.

"That wouldn't work on me, you know." He said, taking the candy cane out of his mouth and snapping it to who knew where before continuing. "But you know what did, don't you?"

Sam winced at both the scathing words and the tone Gabriel had delivered them in, which was full of cold anger. "I'm sorry." He replied almost silently.

"Yeah. I heard."

"I wanted to tell you, but I just thought -"

"Sam, enough." Gabriel said sharply, before he sighed and his eyes warmed a little. "I've not been ignoring you, Kiddo. I've been listening to everything you've been saying. And I guess I owe you an apology too. It's just taken me a while to sort through everything, that's all. I was going to come back, I promise."

"No, Gabriel. It wasn't right to do what I did. I don't deserve you coming back."

The archangel smiled kindly, taking him by surprise. "Sammy, I just freaked out a little. Let it go; I have. I've been told before I have a tendency to overreact. I suppose after Luci stabbed me, that didn't change."

For a moment, Sam couldn't speak past a lump that had nestled in his throat. It had just hit him all at once; the pain of the last few days, the constant worrying about whether he was ever going to see the archangel again, the guilt and self-hate that had resurfaced and the reminder that, once again, he had lost something important because of a stupid mistake. But now, seeing Gabriel back in his company and telling him that all was forgiven, all of his tension and negativity seemed to fall away. Feeling rather weak all of a sudden, he managed to make it to Dean's bed and sat down.

"Where did you go?"

Gabriel shrugged. "I kept changing places, because I knew my knucklehead of a brother would jump on the search party the second Deano gave the order. I just needed time to think about things, really."

"Like what?"

"I'm not stupid, I knew something pretty bad must have happened before you and Dean found me. One day, I just found myself waking up on the edge of a town I'd never set foot in before, and I knew something wasn't right. Kinda confirmed it when I couldn't remember a single thing about how I got there. I didn't have long to think though, because within a day or two, you guys had shown up. Cue trip down memory lane."

"So you remember everything, then?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yep. Every last grimy little detail."

Sam began to form another question in his mind, and then let it trail off, biting his lip nervously. No matter what Gabriel said, Sam couldn't help but feel the archangel was still angry about discovering the DVD, and that Sam had attempted to keep it from him even though his intentions had been good. Sam mentally pulled a bitchface at that thought, because what was the road to Hell paved with, exactly? He didn't want to risk asking Gabriel such a personal, nosy question, especially with how fragile their relationship was already.

But Gabriel was fixing him with an expression similar to the one he'd pulled in the diner at the Mystery Spot by folding his arms and leaning forwards. "What's up, Sammy? And don't make me read your mind. Just do me the courtesy of being honest this time around."

Sam ignored the jibe with difficulty, and replied, "I just wanted to ask you something, but -"

"Just ask me, Sam."

"Why did you stand up to Lucifer for us?"

"You mean why did I take up a fight I had no chance of winning? A fight I knew deep down was going to end in nothing but my own demise? Gee, I don't know." Gabriel grinned wickedly at the pained expression on Sam's face. "I'm _kidding_, sorry!"

Seized by the flicker of annoyance that Gabriel could _joke_ about that, Sam snapped, "Do me the courtesy of being honest this time around, will you?"

Gabriel's grin widened, and a familiar mischievous spark ignited in his eyes. "You like impersonating people, Sammy? Wait 'til later and I'll make you do a pretty damn fine impression of that girl in my DVD."

It took a few moments for Gabriel's words to sink in, and when they did, Sam went from pale to scarlet in the blink of an eye. As Gabriel roared with laughter at the reaction, Sam could only mutter, "Don't flatter yourself.." When Gabriel finally stopped laughing, Sam's blush had died right down but the archangel's words were still ringing in his ears.

"Nah, you wanna know the real reason?" Gabriel asked, and when Sam nodded, he continued. "Shocker of the millennium here, but Deano was right. Someone had to stand up to them and stop them fighting, didn't they? And if I was expecting the two of you and little Castiel to do it, I should expect the same of myself. After all, can't be a coward for the rest of my life."

"You weren't being a coward." Sam shot back, furious that Gabriel would say that about himself, let alone believe it.

Gabriel smiled, but offered no other kind of response to indicate that he'd heard Sam's interruption. "I never liked fighting with my brothers. I couldn't stand it when they were fighting either, as you know. But when one of them was threatening to take away something I'd distinctly claimed as _mine_, we were always going to fall out. And I had to stand up and defend what was mine."

Sam blinked, completely at a loss for words. "What..?"

The archangel sniggered. "Oh, sorry, I forgot. Rule number one of talking to the Winchesters; use simple language."

And before Sam could say a word or move a muscle, Gabriel leant across and planted a short, chaste kiss on his lips, leaving Sam tasting the mint of the candy cane and feeling his skin tingling. And then, before he could stop it, the biggest, stupidest, cheesiest grin became locked on his face, which only caused Gabriel to snort with laughter.

"That was pretty descriptive." Sam finally managed to say, still grinning. "I think I prefer that over verbal explanations any day."

Gabriel winked. "Plenty more where that came from, Sammy. But there's something I need you to do for me first."

"What's that?"

"Get some sleep." Another wink, complete with a flirtatious smile. "You're going to need the energy."


	7. Never Forget You

_I know this world feels like an empty stage_

_I wouldn't change a thing_

_So glad you're back again_

_I'll never forget you_

_They said we'd never make it_

_My sweet joy, always remember me_

When Sam finally began to stir back into consciousness, it was with a feeling of foreboding. It had all been a dream, a wonderful fabrication, brought on by his extreme lack of sleep; it _must_ have been. He'd only dreamt Gabriel had finally returned and told him all was well between them. It had all been inside his head when the archangel had told him he'd sacrificed himself because he wanted to protect him. It wasn't real when Gabriel kissed him.

With that final thought echoing around his mind, his eyes slid open and he blinked, disorientated, when he discovered that he was in his bed with the duvet thrown over his head. He had been catching the odd bit of sleep whenever he got so tired he collapsed on the sofa; he hadn't dragged himself all the way up to his room for days. Which must mean it _hadn't_ just been a wonderful dream; it had all really happened.

As if on cue, something heavy fell onto his legs, causing him to cry out in pain and surprise.

"Ooh, Sammy, let's see if I can make you make that noise again!"

Sam instantly sat bolt upright, throwing the duvet off and found himself face to face with Gabriel. The puny archangel was sitting cross-legged on Sam's shins, grinning that cocky grin of his, a second candy cane sticking out of his mouth.

"What do you say then, Samsquatch? Up for -"

The rest of his sentence got trapped in his throat when Sam reached forwards and grabbed a handful of his shirt before tugging him forwards. Gabriel allowed himself to be yanked into Sam's arms, and sniggered when the hunter held him against his chest tightly. There was a snap, and when Sam glanced down to catch sight of the archangel's grin, he discovered that the candy cane was missing.

"Really, Sam? What are you, twelve? A hug? That's it?"

"Gabriel," Sam began fiercely, pushing the archangel off him and then grinning when his eyebrow docked. "Shut the fuck up."

And then he did the very thing he'd been longing to do for ever since TV Land, and pulled Gabriel in for a kiss. The archangel responded with enthusiasm, losing his hands in Sam's hair and pulling him ever closer, melding their bodies together. The taste of mint was even stronger now, coating Gabriel's lips and the insides of his mouth, almost as if he'd been sucking the damn things ever since Sam had fallen asleep. And, to be honest, that was probably the case. Sam could feel sparks shooting wherever the archangel's skin met his, could feel his heart hammering his ribs into dust, and could feel the growing warmth deep inside that told him exactly what he was going to do to Gabriel in this bed.

Still maintaining the kiss, Sam shoved Gabriel back against the mattress and lay on top of him, his hands doing a little exploring of their own. He felt the archangel's surprisingly bony frame, brushed his fingers over the spot on Gabriel's back where he assumed the archangel's invisible wings met the soft skin of the vessel, slid down his smooth spine to his jutting hips. All the time, Gabriel responded with eagerness, shifting his body so that Sam's hands could slide even lower, pressing himself up against the hunter each time Sam's hands brushed a sensitive spot.

Gabriel had just started unbuttoning Sam's shirt as his fingers inched towards the hem of the archangel's jeans, when the hunter became dimly aware of a noise from just outside. It was only when Dean opened the door, eyes on a textbook in his hand, that Sam realised they were footsteps.

"Gabriel, you said you were just going to check on him! What's taking so -" The elder Winchester then came to an abrupt halt as he happened to glance up. A look of downright horror appeared on his face and he turned on his heel. They heard him sprinting off down the hall, screaming, 'OH GOD, MY EYES! BOBBY, GOUGE MY EYES OUT!" at the top of his lungs.

"Oh _God_.." Sam muttered, dropping his head like a stone onto Gabriel's chest, entire face igniting.

"Uh.. Can we leave my dad out of situations like this, please?" The archangel replied, smirking.

Despite his embarrassment, Sam felt a huff of laughter escape him at this. "I'm not gonna be able to look Dean in the eye for weeks.."

"Oh, please. We could have given him a _real_ show. Anyway, it'll teach him to knock before he just barges in." Gabriel rolled his eyes, and then took advantage of Sam's lowered guard by flipping them and straddling his waist. "Now, where were we, Sammy?"

* * *

An hour later, Sam steeled himself and made an appearance downstairs. Bobby was sat at the kitchen table, but Dean was nowhere in sight. When Sam asked, Bobby told him he'd come downstairs screaming about needing brain bleach, and had then taken himself out into the yard to busy himself with packing their things away into the Impala. Sam laughed uneasily, and then hurried outside, knowing it was better to face his brother sooner rather than later. The Impala's boot was up, and Dean was rummaging with something inside.

Knowing there was no point in delaying the inevitable, Sam sucked in a deep breath and approached. He knew that Dean heard his footsteps because he saw his brother's body tense, but he didn't remove his head from the boot. It was only when Sam had reached the Impala's side and cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly that Dean finally straightened up.

"We're getting separate rooms from now on." He said stiffly before Sam could even open his mouth, eyes fixed on the ground. Each word seemed to be causing him immense pain to say, and Sam wondered if Dean was finding it just as uncomfortable as he was.

"Yeah, I get it." Sam replied, wishing he'd just stayed upstairs for longer. Anything was better than _this_.

"And if he hurts you, Sammy -"

"_Dean_." Sam interrupted, mortified. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"If he does, his lungs are mine. That's all I'm saying." Dean said quickly, slamming the boot shut.

"Okay, fine."

"Good." Dean went silent for a moment, and then threw his arms wide and exclaimed, "_Seriously_, Sam? _Gabriel_?" His tone made it clear he had been holding back from saying it for a while, but had finally lost control over himself.

Sam couldn't help it; he laughed. "What do you want me to say, Dean? He makes me happy."

Before Dean could reply, there was a flap of wings before Gabriel appeared just in front of Sam, clasping his hands and fluttering his eyelashes in an over-the-top girly way. "Ooh, Sammy that was beautiful!"

Sam rolled his eyes while Dean grimaced; he clearly wasn't over the sight he'd seen that morning. "Does this mean you're sticking around with us again?"

Gabriel turned to him, grinning. "Don't worry, Deano, just don't come charging into our room again and you'll be fine."

Dean visibly shuddered before taking off towards Bobby's house, shaking his head frantically as if trying to dispel unwanted mental images. Sam groaned, dropping his head into his hands again. And he knew that asking Gabriel to tone it down a bit was going to be nothing but a wasted effort. The archangel didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'subtle'.

"Oh, quit worrying, he'll be fine. Anyhow, I wanted to ask for your help on something."

Sam glanced up from his hands, a sceptical expression on his face. Gabriel was grinning up at him, which was an instant warning sign. "What with?" He asked hesitantly.

"Just a little project."

"A project." Sam repeated, utterly deadpan. "I'm judging by the look on your face this means causing trouble or mayhem in some way or another."

Gabriel gasped, pressing his hand over his heart. "You wound me, Sam!"

Sam scoffed, and folded his arms over his chest. "Yeah, yeah. What's your 'project', then?"

The archangel's smirk returned with gusto, and he mirrored Sam's stance. "Now that I have my full memory at my disposal, I've been forced to recall _all_ of the tension between our brothers."

"I see where this is going." Sam muttered, unable to stop the grin from inking its way onto his face.

"To cut a long story short, I'm going to need your help getting those two from eye-fucking to actual physical horizontal tango. What do you say, Sammy?"

Sam glanced up at the direction Dean had beaten a hasty retreat in, and nodded. "Okay, I'm in. What'd you have in mind?"

The archangel's smile turned devious. "Oh, I wouldn't worry, Sammy. I've got that _all_ under control."

**~ * ~ Fin ~ * ~**

* * *

**I'm not too happy with this ending chapter; seems a bit rushed tbh, but as I'm going back to Uni next week I won't have much time to write, so I thought I'd post up what I could.**

**I intend for this story to have a Destiel-themed sequel xP So yeah, keep watching for that and I'll write it when I can ^^**

**Thanks to everybody who faved, watched and reviewed this fic! Give yourselves virtual hugs from me! ^^**


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